Iowa State University Top Questions

Everything you do now will have an impact on your future. Do not take school for granted. The less you do now is the more you will have to do in the future. Seek guidance. Find someone that believes in you and can help direct you. You do not always know what is best for yourself, it is important to learn from those that have experience and that care about your future. Work hard. The harder you work in high school, the more opportunities you will create for yourself in the future. Education is the key to success in our society. You will have no assistance from your family in the future. You must lay a foundation for yourself now, you are your own keeper, you are your own support. No one will do it for you. You must take initiative and be motivated. No one can motivate you better than yourself. Realize that there is a place for you in this world, your dreams can and will materialize, but you are the master of your own destiny and you must make things happen. Do not take high school for granted, your future depends on you and you alone.

If I could give my 17 year old self one piece of advice, I would tell myself to relax. All the problems that I thought were the end of the world (not qualifying for need-based aid, not getting the dorm that I wanted, not going to school with any of my friends) turned out to be awesome, amazing things. I lived in a great place with an awesome roommate, and I made some fantastic friends that I love so much. The problems and stressers that occur when applying for college all tend to be pretty insignificant in the long run. As long as you chose and attend a college that you love and fit well in, everything else will fall into place.

If I could go back in time to high school and tell senior me what I know now about college life, I'd tell myself to appreciate the little things and get ready for the biggest transition of your life. College is not a joke, it's a serious time in your life you should not take for granted. I'd tell myself to apply for more scholarships and make sure I am devoted to school, devoted to pursuing my life goals and devoted to following my dreams. I would tell myself to job search a head of time, not only when I get to college because it's not easy. And last but not least, I'd tell myself work hard but enjoy the best days of your life because in a blink of an eye you are going to be a senior in college and soon facing the real world beyond what you think you already are.

As a college freshman I would want to go back in time and let my high school self in on some tips and tricks for college. The first thing I would tell myself is to pack seasonally! Being a girl, I have a large wardrobe I thought could fit in to my college dorm room. I was sadly mistaken. Secondly, I wold tell myself to go to every class and get to know my professors. Stopping by before or after class to introduce yourself can go a long way in their eyes. Knowing when their office hours are to seek out help and ask questions can be very beneficial in the long run. If your professor knows who you are and knows that you are a hardworking student, it could sway their mind when grading papers or homework. Thirdly, I would tell myself to pick which classes I take carefully. I am not an early riser so taking an early morning class and telling myself it's just like high school might not be the best idea. With just these three tips, my high school self would have done a much better job as a first year college student.

College takes a lot of your time and really have to focus on school. If I could go back as a high school senior, I would tell myself to take as much advance courses that would be transferable over to the college that I wanted to go to. That way, I can get some of the general ed classes out of the way and wouldn't have to worry about those once I get to college. Also, if I would have known what I really wanted to study, I could of get ahead while in high school.

I would tell myself to sign up for as many scholarship oppurtunities as possible, even if I don't think I will get them. A lot of scholarships are easy to sign up for. I would tell myself to join the soccer and track teams at my new college. I would tell myself to contact the coaches at the college and find out if there are any scholarship oppurtunities for me. I would tell myself to join an ultimate frisbee club in order to meet new people and have fun.

I would give myself the advice to not be afraid to be myself. In college, people are constantly trying to get you to change who you are to become more like them. The pressure is immense because the desire for friends and to fit in is important. Although thankfully finding friends has never been difficult for me, I was still worried about who my friends were going to be. I was thankfully blessed to have friends that would do anything for me and are great influences on me. The encouragement that I would make great friends and not conform to the people around me would have given me a better attitude going into college.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that I should always remember to relax and not get overwhelmed. I would tell myself that the college life is all about balance. During my senior year of high school I coasted through my classes and my tests because I was comfortable and able to function on a set schedule, but in college I was overwhelmed at first. I worried about forgetting a class since my schedule was spread out, or I worried about how tough everyone had said my classes would be. It was a shock at first, but I became used to it and I remembered that I could handle it. When I go back and talk to myself in high school, I would remind myself of exactly that. I would tell myself that it is alright to mess up in college as long as I remember to relax and that I am capable of handling tough situations.

You're going to have to learn to do a lot of things on your own that you aren't used to doing. Little things, like setting up your own hamper or buying amenities at Target. At first, you'll begin to feel a sense of competence and independence, but then you'll start to feel overwhelmed by all of the adult responsibilities that are suddenly dropped on you. Mom and Dad aren't going to be waiting at home to help you with the tasks and challenges at hand. Now is a time to develop your work ethic and accountability. And that's going to require some work and effort on your part. They always say that college is the best time of your life, but they don't tell you that many people, myself included, feel alone as we enter early adulthood. More alone than I've ever felt. But on the other side of that coin, the newfound independence is strangely exhilarating. You're nearing your peak years, and you're here to have a strange and wonderful adventure with a bunch of other kids who all want the same thing. Go with your head held high.

If you think that you are already prepared as a college student, think again. I did not think the transition would be that difficult, but it really was. My senior year I kind of slacked off a bit, and this did not help me at all transitioning to college. My study skills decreased after obtaining this lazy mentality, and my tests in college reflected that. So if I were to go back to high school, I would keep up my study skills, and try to prepare myself as best I could. This would include reading books on college, and how to get a jump start on my freshman year, instead of falling behind right away.